Oyama: Her Story

CHAPTER 52

Qhawe and I left Qumbu a few days after I got arrested and its been, about 2 weeks since the negotiations, he says he has a surprise for me. Life as a married couple, hasn’t been different in the slightest, except that I cook on Weekend’s or days when he’s working late at the Restaurant.
The way he explained it was from, April, till September he will be working at the restaurant on hand, but then after that he will let the others shine.
He says this helps build an envy for food, where high end clientele will only come in when a certain chef comes and cooks at a restaurant, it doesn’t make sense to me, maybe its because I’m not a chef.
We are driving inside the Aston Martin, the same one from Port Elizabeth, he had it moved here, because he missed it, as well as his motorcycles. Which now just sit in our living room, because him and Mogale, do sometimes go for joy rides and then come back with them and sit them literally in the living room near the wall.
Again, I don’t understand it, maybe it’s a guy thing, I don’t know.

“So who we meeting?” I ask.
“Would you relax” he says.
I look outside, “OK, but where are we?” I ask.
“Houghton Estate” he says, I nod and continue looking outside the window.
The houses here are modest and grand at the same time.
He stops at a black double gate, which swings to the side immediately. He drives into the grounds and reveals a huge white double story house, with 2 double garages.
He steps out and walks to my door and opens it, “Who are we meeting?” I ask.
“Would you relax” he says, we walk into the house, “Do you like it?”
I look around and the empty house, “I mean, it could use some furniture, but its beautiful” I say.
“Do you like it though?” he asks.
“Like I said, it could use some furniture” I say.
“Then you should get some” he says.
I look at him crazy, “What?”
“Welcome home” he smiles.

I blink at him, stunned into silence.
"Welcome home?" I repeat, trying to make sense of his words.
He grins, stepping closer and taking my hands, "It’s ours, Oyama. This house. Our first home as a married couple."
My heart races as I glance around the empty space again, the realization slowly sinking in. "Wait… you bought this?"
He nods, his grin widening, "It’s all ours. I wanted to surprise you, so I’ve been working on this for months. It’s a bit far from the restaurant, and the hospital you work at, but it’s also in a nice, quiet area. I know you love your peace."
I don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or yell at him for not giving me a heads-up.
"Qhawe… this is… wow."
"I know it’s a bit much," he says, his tone softening, "But I wanted to give you something that felt like us—a fresh start. Somewhere we can build memories together."
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. The house is beautiful, and the thought he put into this gesture is overwhelming. But it’s also huge.
"It’s… perfect," I say finally, looking up at him.
His face lights up, and he pulls me into a hug, lifting me off the ground, "I knew you’d love it," he says, spinning me around.
"Okay, okay, put me down!" I laugh, swatting at his shoulder.
He sets me down gently, still grinning like a kid who just got away with something mischievous. "Come on, let me show you the rest," he says, grabbing my hand and leading me deeper into the house.
The kitchen is sleek and modern, with white marble countertops and stainless steel appliances.

"It’s amazing," I whisper, running my hand along the counter, "This alone is enough to make me fall in love with the house."
He chuckles, "Wait till you see the master bedroom."
We head upstairs, where he pushes open a set of double doors to reveal a spacious bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the pool and garden. The en suite bathroom has a deep soaking tub and a walk-in shower big enough for two.
"I don’t even know what to say," I admit, turning to face him.
"Just say you love it," he says, pulling me into his arms.
"I love it," I whisper, resting my head against his chest.
We stand there for a moment, taking it all in. The house is still empty, but I can already imagine what it’ll look like once we make it our own.
"So," he says, breaking the silence, "You ready to start furniture shopping?"
I groan playfully, pulling away to look at him, "You mean I’m going to be furniture shopping while you’re busy at the restaurant?"
"Exactly," he says with a laugh. "You’ve got better taste than I do anyway."
I shake my head, smiling despite myself, "Fine, but you’re coming with me for the big stuff. No excuses."
"Deal," he says, holding out his pinky.
I laugh, hooking my pinky with his, "You’re ridiculous, you know that?"
"Yeah, but you love me," he says, leaning down to kiss me.
"I do," I whisper against his lips, feeling my heart swell with gratitude.
As we stand there in our new home, I can’t help but think about how far we’ve come. Life with Qhawe is anything but ordinary, but in moments like this, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.